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Alabama Hunting Laws

Alabama's deer rules are permissive on caliber but strict on bullet type: centerfire rifles and handguns must fire mushrooming (expanding) ammunition, with no minimum bullet diameter. Muzzleloaders and black-powder handguns must be at least .40 caliber, and pre-charged pneumatic air rifles at least .30 caliber, qualify for deer during their designated seasons.

Rules checked against Alabama Division of Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries regulations, August 30, 2026.

At a Glance

Wildlife Agency
Alabama Division of Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries
Regulations Year
2026
Coverage
Verified against primary sources
Verified Rules on File
10
Rules Pending Review
0
Zones With Special Rules
0
Official regulations → Verify with Alabama Division of Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries →

Check a Cartridge in Alabama

Results update as you choose.

Pick a state, species, and weapon — add a cartridge for a full check.

Sourced Rules

Each rule links to the regulation we read and the month we checked it.

Rifle

2 rules
White-tailed / Mule Deer

No minimum caliber — any centerfire rifle is legal for deer, but the bullet must be an expanding/mushrooming type.

"Rifles using centerfire, mushrooming ammunition."

220-2-.02 — Legal Arms, Ammunition, And Equipment For Hunting (Deer, gun season, rifles) · verified Aug 2026

White-tailed / Mule Deer

Deer rifle bullets must be mushrooming (expanding) type — full metal jacket / non-expanding ammunition is not legal.

"Rifles using centerfire, mushrooming ammunition."

220-2-.02 — Legal Arms, Ammunition, And Equipment For Hunting (Deer, gun season, rifles) · verified Aug 2026

Shotgun

3 rules
White-tailed / Mule Deer

Deer shotguns must be 10 gauge or smaller, loaded with buckshot, slugs, or a single round ball.

"Shotguns, 10 gauge or smaller using buckshot, slugs, or single round ball."

220-2-.02 — Legal Arms, Ammunition, And Equipment For Hunting (Deer, gun season, shotguns) · verified Aug 2026

Wild Turkey

Turkey shotguns are 10 gauge or smaller, No. 2 shot or smaller — No. 2 is the largest pellet allowed, and the code sets no lower bound.

"(3) TURKEY: (a)1. Shotguns, 10 gauge or smaller using standard No. 2 shot or smaller. 2. Muzzle-loading shotguns, 10 gauge or smaller using standard No. 2 shot or smaller."

Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.02(3)(a)1.–2. — Turkey (certified chapter rev. 8/14/26, p. 2-38) · verified Oct 2026

Waterfowl

Waterfowl must be hunted with steel shot or another USFWS-approved nontoxic shot.

"waterfowl must be hunted with steel shot or other shot compositions and shot sizes that are approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service."

220-2-.02 — Legal Arms, Ammunition, And Equipment For Hunting (Migratory birds/waterfowl) · verified Aug 2026

Handgun

1 rule
White-tailed / Mule Deer

No minimum caliber for deer handguns, but ammunition must be centerfire and mushrooming (expanding).

"Handguns or pistols using centerfire, mushrooming ammunition."

220-2-.02 — Legal Arms, Ammunition, And Equipment For Hunting (Deer, gun season, handguns) · verified Aug 2026

Muzzleloader

1 rule
White-tailed / Mule Deer

Muzzleloading long guns and black-powder handguns must be at least .40 caliber.

"Muzzle-loaders and Black Powder Handguns--.40 caliber or larger."

220-2-.02 — Legal Arms, Ammunition, And Equipment For Hunting (Muzzleloaders) · verified Aug 2026

Air Gun

1 rule
White-tailed / Mule Deer

Pre-charged pneumatic air rifles must be .30 caliber or larger to hunt deer, and are legal during the special muzzleloader/air rifle season.

"Pre-charged pneumatic air powered guns, .30 caliber or larger."

220-2-.02 — Legal Arms, Ammunition, And Equipment For Hunting (Air rifles) · verified Aug 2026

All Weapons

2 rules
All species

Alabama lifted its suppressor ban in October 2014 and the hunting rules have said nothing about suppressors since, for any species or land type — the only firearm the rules ban outright is a fully automatic one. The state's enforcement chief put it plainly at the time: Alabama is not regulating suppressors, only allowing people who legally acquired them to hunt with them. There is no state permit and no state paperwork condition.

Suppressor law in 2026: what changed · suppressor prices

"220-2-.02 Legal Arms, Ammunition, And Equipment For Hunting. (1) GENERAL PROHIBITIONS: (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to use any method or have in their possession any weapon or ammunition contrary to this re..."

Ala. Admin. Code ch. 220-2 — r. 220-2-.02 and r. 220-2-.11(1)(i) · verified Oct 2026

All species

During gun deer season (including youth and the special muzzleloader/air rifle season), hunters must wear at least 144 sq. in. of hunter orange or fluorescent pink above the waist, or a full-size hunter orange/pink hat; turkey, migratory bird, and nighttime furbearer hunters are exempt.

"a minimum of 144 square inches of hunter orange or fluorescent pink"

Outdoor Alabama — Hunter Orange or Fluorescent Pink Requirement · verified Aug 2026

Federal Rules That Apply in Every State

These federal requirements apply in Alabama on top of state law.

Federal law: only USFWS-approved nontoxic shot may be used — or even possessed — while hunting waterfowl, coots, and aggregate-bag species. 50 CFR § 20.21(j)(1)–(3)
Federal law: shotguns for migratory birds are limited to 3 shells total (magazine + chamber) with a one-piece plug; limited light-goose and September Canada goose season exceptions exist. 50 CFR § 20.21(b)
Federal law: shotguns for migratory birds may be no larger than 10 gauge. 50 CFR § 20.21(a)
Federal law prohibits taking migratory birds with a rifle, pistol, or fully automatic firearm. 50 CFR § 20.21(a)
On Waterfowl Production Areas and designated National Wildlife Refuge lands, possessing shot other than approved nontoxic shot is prohibited; individual refuges may impose stricter rules. 50 CFR § 32.2(k)

Sources

Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.02 — Legal Arms, Ammunition, And Equipment For Hunting Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (Administrative Code, via Cornell LII) · retrieved August 30, 2026
Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources Administrative Code, Chapter 220-2 — Game and Fish Division (certified chapter, revised 8/14/26) Alabama Legislature (official Alabama Administrative Code service) · retrieved October 11, 2026
Outdoor Alabama — Hunter Orange or Fluorescent Pink Requirement Alabama Division of Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries · retrieved August 30, 2026

How to Use This Page

Each rule links to the regulation we read and the month we checked it. Rules marked needs review come from summaries rather than the regulation text, and never produce a green answer in the checker. The checker's energy figures are typical factory loads, so where a rule sets an energy or bullet-weight floor, check your own load's rating. This page covers equipment only, not seasons, tags or local ordinances, and it isn't legal advice. The current Alabama Division of Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries regulations are the final word.